We have an update to the legal hearing deciding who can sell recreational marijuana first. A judge has ruled a temporary ban on licenses will stay in place.
Carson City District Judge James Wilson ruled Tuesday, in favor of licensed alcohol wholesalers. This means that for 18 months, liquor licensees will still have exclusive rights to apply to distribute marijuana. This may a delay the expected July 1st start date.
Senator Ben Kieckhefer had this to say. "I don't think it's really a party-based issue, I think this is something the voters approved and it's the states responsibility to carry it out and this is part of that process."
While Nevada's marijuana regulators are determined to sell recreationally by July 1st, it's unsure that will happen. This is because the judge's ruling makes it so that already existing medical dispensaries cannot apply for distribution licenses.
As for the five liquor wholesalers who have already applied for those licenses, the department of taxation says their applications are incomplete as of now and that they haven't proven they're legally qualified to distribute.
While the official start date for recreational marijuana sales now hangs in limbo, both liquor wholesalers and the department of taxation say they are committed to figuring out some way to ensure the voters do get what they want by July 1st.
